Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) review

Very similar to an odd mashup of Deeperlove and The Loopy World of Arthur Brown, Amazon is again as soon as once more to convey you Fireplace – the newest Fireplace HD 10 pill, to be precise. 

This Twelfth-gen refresh affords a marginal bump in specs versus the earlier version, which was launched in 2021. 

The 2023 Fireplace HD 10 is powered by a MediaTek MT8186 processor, which Amazon says is 25% sooner than the 2021 version’s MT8183. 

The cameras too – a 5Mp most important sensor and 5Mp front-facing digital camera – now file 1080p Full HD video in comparison with creaky outdated 720p. This implies Zoom calls will look a bit of clearer. 

Lastly, the brand new mannequin can be 30g lighter than the Eleventh-generation Fireplace HD 10 pill, so it’s simpler to hold round and crash on the sofa with a e book or TV present. 

In any other case, it’s a lot the identical as what we bought final time round. A ten.1-inch show, as much as 64GB of inner storage, and Android with Amazon’s FireOS customized interface and app retailer. 

With the arrival of the Amazon Fireplace Max 11 this yr, the Fireplace HD 10 is not the jewel in Amazon’s pill crown. In the event you’re after a cheap pill with a deal with getting some work achieved on the prepare between watching episodes of The Boys (possibly finest not achieved on the prepare), then the Fireplace Max 11 could also be extra of what you’re after. 

That stated, the Fireplace HD 10 stays a very good finances Android pill – albeit one with an emphasis on Amazon companies – that you can, in a pinch, use as a piece system, regardless that the main target is principally on leisure.

Design & Construct

• Black plastic with a matt end
• Kind-C USB, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Light-weight, however cheap-feeling

Design-wise, the Fireplace HD 10 is a really fundamental, no-frills pill – matt plastic with no accents or metallic edges, simply the smiley Amazon brand lower into the again. You don’t wish to knock it for feeling and looking low cost, however on the similar time, it kinda appears and feels low cost.

The model I used to be despatched was black, however lilac and ocean blue variations can be found as effectively.

On the plus aspect, it’s light-weight and comfy to carry in a single hand, whether or not in portrait or panorama. Given the deal with leisure right here, it’d be nice if Amazon had labored a kickstand into the again just like the Fireplace HD 10 Children Professional, so for those who wished to drop this up in your espresso desk, you’d have to fork out for a case or dock. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

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In the event you’re holding the pill in panorama and dealing with it with the digital camera on the highest edge, you’ll discover two audio system sitting up on the highest edge, and the ability key, quantity rocker, USB port and headphone jack on the right-hand edge. On the underside edge, there’s a microSD slot, ought to you might want to broaden storage.

Display screen & Audio system

• 10.1-inch LCD show
• Full HD+
• USI 2.0 stylus help
• Stereo audio system 

The Amazon Fireplace HD 10’s show is properly detailed with a decision of 1920 x 1200, and it helps USI energetic stylus know-how, so if in case you have a USI stylus from one other pill, or a Chromebook, it’ll work right here too. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

With out having a stylus handy, I can’t say for certain how good stylus suggestions within the show is, nevertheless it’s secure to imagine that it’s on par with the Fireplace 11 Max expertise – in different phrases, excellent. 

I recorded a peak brightness of 369 nits, which isn’t implausible, not likely vibrant sufficient for out of doors studying, until you’re someplace shady. That’s par for the course for finances tablets although, the Nokia T21, Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, and Oppo Pad Air all returned comparable outcomes, though the Fireplace Max 11 and Galaxy Tab A9 are a bit brighter. 

The stereo audio system will not be too dangerous, much better at delivering TV and film sounds and dialogue than they’re for music playback – bass tones will not be very effectively outlined, and cymbals sound skinny and tinny. Once more, to be anticipated for a tool of this dimension and worth. 

Specs & Efficiency

• Mediatek 8-core processor
• 3GB of RAM
• Perfect for mild shopping, emails, and informal video games

The Amazon Fireplace HD 10 may be very a lot geared in direction of mild net shopping, studying books, and streaming media. As normal you get 32GB of storage however 64GB is obtainable too.

There’s a sport mode, which quickly disables Alexa and hides notifications for optimum efficiency, though Asphalt 8 was solely nearly playable. The Fireplace HD 10 is de facto higher suited in direction of much less demanding titles, like Conflict of Clans.

The Silk browser is fairly good at working with north of ten tabs open, though it struggled with some busier net pages, just like the BBC homepage and The Guardian. 

Often struggled to leap between apps and processes. Exiting the digital camera, Conflict of Clans, and the Kindle app all noticed the pill freeze for a few seconds and take me again to a clean house menu. A second later, all the widgets and app icons ghosted into view. Not the tip of the world, but in addition not very confidence-inspiring both. 

Benchmarking outcomes tallied with my observations – the scores listed below are roughly on par with different tablets in its class, and because the Manhattan and T-Rex body price scores present, it’s simply not lower out for fast-paced gaming. 

Amazon Fireplace HD 10 (2023) benchmarks

When it comes to wi-fi connectivity, you get Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.3, which is a bit of disappointing for any new system in 2023. That’ll be quick sufficient for streaming video and music, however be aware that the Fireplace Max 11 helps the more moderen and sooner Wi-Fi 6 normal.

Cameras

• 5Mp rear digital camera
• 5Mp entrance digital camera
• Full HD video

The principle digital camera is just not a lot to jot down house about. It’s solely actually able to taking satisfactory pictures the place there’s ample pure mild. Indoor pictures are likely to look fairly ropey – as you may anticipate from a digital camera in a cut price basement pill.  

The front-facing digital camera is ample for selfies, and for video calls, which is probably going the principle cause you’d be eager about a pill’s digital camera high quality. The digital camera interface can be rudimentary, and laborious to familiarize yourself with.

Switching between entrance and most important cameras, for instance, requires you to faucet the three dots icon within the backside left nook, after which hit the double arrow icon – why this shortcut has been squirreled away to a sub-menu is a thriller.

As talked about earlier, the pill is now able to taking pictures Full HD video quite than normal HD 720p so there may be at the very least some enchancment and excellent news for those who plan to make use of the Fireplace HD 10 for video calls. 

Battery Life & Charging

• 13 hours quoted lifespan
• Weedy 9W charger

Battery life is nice, with the PC Mark Work 3.0 battery life take a look at giving me 10h 11mins. Just a little off the quoted 13 hours, however loads of energy for most individuals’s functions. 

Much less good is the truth that the Fireplace HD 10 takes simply over 4 hours to cost utilizing the equipped 9W charger. After quarter-hour from empty, I used to be on 4%, and after half an hour 8%. After an hour, 18%. That’s extraordinarily sluggish going.

Amazon says that USB Kind-C-to-C 15W chargers (bought individually) will recharge the pill from full in three hours. Which is nice to know, nevertheless it makes you marvel why they simply didn’t embrace one within the first place.  

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Software program & Apps

• Fireplace OS 8, primarily based on Android 11
• No Google Play Retailer
• Alexa and Echo Present Mode

As with all different Amazon Fireplace tablets, it runs one thing referred to as Fireplace OS, a customized interface which relies on Google’s Android software program. 

It’s very straightforward to navigate, particularly for those who’ve used an Android pill earlier than. The principle web page is split into three sections the place you possibly can try advisable apps and media, a house web page, and a library of every little thing you’ve downloaded, and all of the tabs you could have open within the Silk browser. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

But it surely’s not fairly the identical as common Android. For starters, regardless that the Amazon Appstore has most of the similar video games and apps, there are conspicuous absences, just like the YouTube Android app, Google Maps, and Chrome.

On that be aware, you possibly can’t even obtain different browsers from the Appstore – it’s very a lot a case of use the Silk browser or go house. It’s the identical story on each Fireplace pill on the market, so that is nothing new however you need to be conscious.

You don’t should do completely every little thing Amazon’s manner on the Fireplace HD 10 although. For instance, you possibly can have Alexa connect with your Spotify account, for those who’d quite use that than Amazon Music, so there’s some flexibility.

As with more moderen Fireplace gadgets, Alexa is ‘fingers free’, that means you possibly can ship it voice instructions even when the show is off, and the pill’s locked. 

Echo Present mode additionally returns on the Fireplace HD 10. This primarily turns the pill into a wise house show, exhibiting off issues like climate, trending recipes, a TV information, trending recipes, and extra. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Value & Availability

The Amazon Fireplace HD (2023) is in the stores straight from Amazon now. The 32GB model prices £159.99/$154.99 whereas the 64GB model is priced at £189.99/$194.99. 

In the event you can put up with adverts on the lock display screen, you possibly can have both choice away with a £10/$15 low cost.

USI 2.0-certified styluses are additionally in the stores from Amazon for £34.99/$39.99. 

In the event you’re keen to half with a bit additional cash, good alternate options embrace the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE, which has a superior show, higher battery, extra inner storage, for round £50 extra. 

The Oppo Pad Air is one other good choice – once more, higher show, extra storage, not way more costly, though the battery’s longevity is just not fairly nearly as good. Additionally contemplate the recently-tested Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, which is the same worth, has a smaller show, however comes with extra inner storage and Googke Play.

Alternatively, for those who’re after one thing with a bit extra energy, then the Fireplace Max 11 could also be a more sensible choice, or for those who have been searching for one thing cheap for all of the household, then the Amazon Fireplace HD 10 Children Professional model can be a extra appropriate choice. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Must you purchase the Amazon Fireplace HD 10 (2023)?

The Amazon Fireplace HD 10 is for anybody who reads quite a bit on Kindle and Audible, has a Prime subscription, and streams the occasional present on Prime Video.

In the event you’re already invested within the Amazon ecosystem, you’ll recognize having every little thing at your fingertips if you first energy it on. 

Nevertheless, at £150/$140 (with advertisements), that is solely barely cheaper than different finances Android tablets, which characterize higher worth for cash, largely as a result of they’ll offer you entry to the Google Play app retailer, which affords extra alternative than its Amazon counterpart.

Specs

• Show: 10.1in, USI 2.0 stylus help
• Decision: 1920 x 1200 (224 ppi)
• Processor: Octa-core as much as 2 GHz
• Storage: 32 or 64 GB (expandable by as much as 1TB)
• RAM: 3GB
• Digital camera: 5Mp entrance, 5Mp rear
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3
• Alexa-enabled: Sure, hands-free
• Sound: Dolby Atmos-branded dual-stereo audio system, microphone
• Battery Life: As much as 13 hours
• Charging: USB-C (USB 2.0)
• Weight: 433.6g
• Dimensions: 246 x 165 x 10.9mm